Flying high above the area surrounding the Upstate Community Hospital are powerful drones carrying pharmaceutical drugs.

The drones transport medications from a nearby pharmacy directly to the hospital.

"We started to see that we needed to be more efficient in moving supplies around because we're so spread out with three hospitals and other facilities around the region. So the most efficient way, we thought, was to go with drones," said Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona.

As the labor shortage got more intense, Corona said they also began using robots inside the institution. He said using both robots inside and drones outside has been a big help to operations.

"So now, they're a critical part of our operations, and it makes it more efficient to get supplies from the bedside to the pharmacy to the laboratories, and to move things between our institutions. And we're going to continue to grow," Corona said.

The unique drone deliveries are being made through the Meds-to-Beds program. As Corona mentioned, there are hopes to expand to other areas.

Upstate leaders said they're looking at doing home delivery of medications to patients living near the hospital.

Upstate University Hospital's CEO said they are not delivering narcotic prescriptions by drones.